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The doors swung closed on the sound of her voice

Chapter Fourteen

Gavan was sitting up in his bed when Linnet put her head in the door of the infirap-toothed sroan fro?" Linnet asked

"His fever broke," Gavan reported "His face is still all ood The doctor caet him to say yes a bunch of times ’cause he likes how he says it"

"What?" Linnet asked, confused

"He says weth, don’t you, Mr Hah Me too"

Mr Ha to live, that’s what the doctor said"

"I’lad to hear it," Linnet said "See, Gavan, not everybody is--"

"Can you takefor you Who knohat Rufus is doing? We need to go see him"

"I don’t think you’re supposed to be out of bed," Linnet said

"The doctor said that he can start walking today," came a stern voice behind her

Linnet scra by the bed earing a leather apron that went to her knees She had a black knob of hair on top of her head, a white knob for a nose, and a very long chin In short, she looked rather terrifying

"My naly

"I’ "Lord Marchant referred to someone as Nurse Matilda, but of course he has more than one nurse, as there are so many patients"

"The doctor refers to me as such because of his impertinent and foolish ways," Mrs Havelock said She didn’t bother to add but you may not "I a Now if you’re taking young Gavan out of doors, you may not take hile flea on his body That boy is a o near a flea Miss will just take ain to look at the purty water" His eyes were shining with all the fervor of a runted Apparently the halo was invisible to her "I’d say no, but he’s driving ive

Linnet waved at Neythen, who Master Gavan, Neythen, we’ll get out of Mrs Havelock’s way I’ave her a scathing look that made Linnet suddenly realize just how different a beaten leather apron looked in coown adorned with cherry ribbons

But she gave the housekeeper a deliberate, defiant smile It wasn’t her fault that she’d been born into a fa calls, the afternoon sorting ribbons--not toaround a ballroom

Any more than Mrs Havelock had chosen to be born into a family that apparently enabled--or forced--her to hold a position in Piers’s hospital And it was absurd to feel even the slightest twinge of jealousy about that

"Do you take care of all the patients in this wing by yourself?"

"Certainly not," Mrs Havelock said "That would be most improper I aht that Linnet was constitutionally worthless; she turned around without a farewell

Of course they didn’t go to the pool Neythen deposited Gavan in the stable and then returned to his duties in the castle, proh wooden bench while Gavan played with Rufus